United States v. The James G. Swan

HANFORD, District Judge.

Fur seals in great numbers habitually make annual visits to the Pribilof islands, in Bering sea, affording to the native inhabitants their means of living, the flesh of the animals being their principal article of food, and seal-skins being the only commodity of commercial value obtainable by their industry. Previous to the acquisition of Alaska by our government, the preservation of these animals from indiscriminate slaughter and extermination was by the Russian government deemed necessary for the subsistence of said inhabitants, and accordingly authority over all of…